Apparatus for inserting cores into soap



y 6, 1967 H. E. NYLUND ETAL 3,319,296

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CORES INTO SOAP Filed Oct. 19, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. HARRY 5. N71. U/VD HELENA r zwu/zvo 'ZTLBWK A fro/mar May 16, 1967 H. E. NYLUND ETAL. 3,319,296

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CORES INTO SOAP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19, 1966 INVENTORS.

HARRY E NYLUND HELENA 7C NYLUND ml 6 ATTORNEY y 6 1967 H. E. NYLUND ETAL 3,319,296

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CORES INTO SOAP Filed Oct. 19, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 N 0 .I 'L E I Z I $2 I \1- "1""5 I m F/GIZ lNl/ENTORS.

HARRY A. lI/VLU/VD HELENA Z' NYLUIVD A r roe var 3,319,296 APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CORES INTO SOAP Harry E. Nylund and Helena T. Nylund, both of 1528 Sunny Hill Lane, Havertown, Pa. 19083 Filed Oct. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 587,719 Claims. (Cl. 1826) This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,649 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for inserting cores into soap.

A cake of soap with an internal core of hard or flexible plastic has numerous advantages. Such a core provides a body for adherence of the soap, presents the soap from breaking, greatly reduces soap waste by making possible the use of substantially the entire quantity of soap adhered thereto, provides an inert support which is odorless and does not interfere with the selected perfurning of the soap, provides a support which is smooth and does not have sharp corners or edges which could cause injury to the user, provides a core which may be given the desired color to enhance the appearance of the finished article, and can provide a hollow light weight float which avoids sinking of the soap cake, and which float has other uses.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus for use in inserting cores into soap as the soap is being formed into bars, such apparatus being simple in construction and expeditiously handling the cores.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for inserting cores into soap prior to severing the cakes from any elongated soap bar.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for inserting cores into soap cakes in which the cores are held horizontal and against undesired displacement during their advance with the soap.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for inserting cores into soap in which the cores are supported on wires, introduced into the soap prior to the solidification of the soap, the subsequent removal of the wires being effected so that the attractive appearance of the finished soap cake is not adversely affected.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for inserting cores into soap which can be readily added to soap making apparatus now in use, with a minimum of change or modification of such apparatus.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURES 1A and 1B are top plan view of a preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention, parts of the conventional soap making apparatus being shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of one of the conveyor bands employed in the apparatus of FIG. IE;

United States Patent C) amzss Patented May 16, 1967 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mounting of one of the cores on its conveyor wire;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slot closure at which the cores are introduced; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the slot closure taken approximately on the line 66 of FIG. 1A.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the agitator-mixer of conventional soap making apparatus is shown at M with a cooling device B through which the soap is delivered to a conventional conduit A. In prior conventional soap making apparatus this conduit A is connected to cake forming equipment but it is preferred that the apparatus of the present invention be interposed at this location as the soap is in such condition that the cores C can be inserted therein as the soap shaped into bar form advances while, at the same time the soap is not sufficiently fluent to leak or readily escape. Such escape being minimized or prevented as hereinafter explained.

A frame F is .provided which includes a transverse frame portion 10 with spaced longitudinal frame portions 11 secured at each end and with plates 12 for fastening the same to a suitable supporting foundation.

The frame F also includes vertical uprights 14 and 15 with intermediate horizontal frame portions 16 connecting the uprights 14. Horizontal frame portions 17 carried by the uprights 15 support the operating structure as will hereinafter be apparent.

The frame portion 10 preferably has an electric motor 20 mounted thereon with a vertical shaft 21 connected by a coupling 22 to a vertical shaft 23 journaled in a hearing 24 carried by the frame portions 16. The shaft 23 has a bevel gear 25 keyed thereto.

The frame portions 16 also have bearing supports 26 with bearings 27 for the mounting of horizontal shafts 28. The shafts 28 have bevel gears 29 keyed thereto in driven engagement with the bevel gear 25. The shafts 28 at their outer ends are carried in bearings 30 mounted on the uprights 14 and have bevel gears 31 keyed thereto.

The uprights 14 also serve to carry vertically spaced bearing mountings 33 with bearings 34 for vertical shafts 35. The shafts 35 have bevel gears 36 at their lower ends engaged with the gears 31 and, at their upper ends, have secured thereto conveyor band driving wheels 38.

The driving wheels 38 preferably each have toothed or corrugated peripheries 39 for driving engagement with endless conveyor bands 40. The conveyor bands 40 are of any desired material and are preferably of metal, but can be of plastic or of rubber impregnated fabric, with ribs 41 on the interior complemental to the peripheries 39 of the driving wheels 38.

The conveyor bands 40 on each side are guided and directed to provide parallel runs and for this purpose entrance guide pulleys 42 and exit guide pulleys 43 are provided, the pulleys 42 and 43 being rotatably supported on stub shafts 44 mounted on spreader bars 45 carried on the frame portions 17.

The spreader bars 45 have positioner bars 46 extending therefrom with stub shafts 47 mounted thereon. The stub shafts 47 carry guide pulleys 48 engaged by the conveyor bands 40.

in the diverging run of the conveyor bands 40, between the pulleys 48 and the driving wheels 38, easements 50 can be provided supported in any desired manner, within which brushes 51 are mounted to keep the conveyor bands 40 and structure carried thereby clean.

In the converging run of the conveyor bands 40, in advance of the entrance guide pulleys 42 and on each side, core supply devices 53 are provided for delivery of cores C, although the cores C could be supplied and applied manually.

In order to receive and support the cores C delivered from supply devices 53, the conveyor bands 40 have fixed Wire supports 54 secured thereto alternating with free wire end receiving sockets 55. The fixed Wire supports 54 each has a core carrying wire 56 secured therein, and extending therefrom With a free end detachably received in an opposite socket 55.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the alternating fixed supports 54 and sockets 55 are sequentially arranged in offset relation so that half the wires 56 are carried by each of the conveyor bands 40, and alternately.

The cores C, shown for purposes of illustration as having central cylindrical bodies 57 with rounded ends 58, have central longitudinal openings 59 for accommodating the wires 56.

The wires 56, to position the cores C thereon, each has a nodule 61 thereon to serve as an end abutment for a core C and preferably each has, intermediate the ends of the core location, an offset 62 which provides frictional engagement in the opening 59.

The conduit A has horizontal elongated slots 85 at each side thereof through which the wires 56 and cores C carried on the wires 56 enter the conduit A being impelled by the bands 40. In order to minimize soap leakage at the slots 85, they are preferably each provided with closure 86 of flexible and resilient material, such as rubber, having a parting line 87 through which the wires 56 and cores C are forced into the soap within the conduit A.

A supporting receptacle 65 is provided having a bottom wall 66 formed as a continuation of the bottom wall of the conduit A, side walls 67, formed as continuations of the side walls of the conduit A with side openings 68 as extensions of the openings 85 for horizontal movement of the wires 56, supports 54 and supports 55. The bands 40 engage along the side walls 67 and prevent soap from passing out through the side openings 68.

The supporting receptacle 65 at its delivery end can communicate With soap cake forming and cutting devices of Well known type.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Soap in fluent condition is supplied from the agitatormixer M, and in passing through the cooling device B has its temperature reduced so that it is not liquid but not to an extent to solidify the soap or to reduce its viscosity to the extent that the cores C could not be introduced thereinto.

Rotation by the motor of the shaft 21 is effective through the coupling 22, shaft 23 and bevel gear for driving the shafts 28 by the bevel gears 29.

The shafts 28 through the bevel gears 31 and bevel gears 36 drive the shafts and this is effective for driving the driving wheels 38 in unison to move the conveyor bands 40.

As the conveyor bands are advanced in unison the core carrying wires 56 have cores C successively supplied thereon by the core supply devices 53 or the cores C can be applied manually to the wires 56. The cores C are moved onto the wires 56 so that the leading ends 58 of the cores C as supplied are advanced to engage the nodules 61 and are restrained from accidental displacement by the frictional engagement of the offsets 62 in the openings 59.

As the conveyor bands 40 are advanced the cores C on the wires 56 are moved through the closure 86 and into the soap advancing along the conduit A.

As the conveyor bands 40 are advanced in unison the free ends of the wires 56 engage in and are held by the sockets 55 to move the cores C along the supporting receptacle 65. The rate of movement of the cores C is preferably substantially the same as that of the soap advancing along the conduit A.

As the conveyor bands 40 continue to advance the wire carried and soap covered cores C to the end of their parallel run between the pulleys 42 and 43 separation of the free ends of the Wires 56 is initiated and with further advance the wires 56 are successively withdrawn from the soap coated cores C.

As the conveyor bands 40 continue to advance successive wire carried cores C are moved into the receptacle 65 for engagement in the soap and moved to the end of the receptacle for withdrawal of the wires 56.

As the conveyor bands 40 separate at their diverging run from the pulleys 48 to the pulleys 38 they are passed along the brushes 51 for cleaning.

The wires 56 are continuously advanced and alternately supplied with cores C as previously pointed out prior to their being supported at both ends by the bands 40.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap comprising an elongated soap supporting receptacle,

an elongated carrier member for extending through a core in supporting relation thereto and having ends disposed beyond the core,

advancing members for said core carrier member for advancing said core carrier member along said receptacle,

said advancing members including horizontally spaced endless conveyor bands one of which has a rigid support at one end for said core supporting member and the other of which has a separable support for the other end of said core supporting member.

2. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim 1 in which said elongated member is of Wire and has a core positioni'ng portion thereon.

3. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim 1 in which said elongated member is of Wire, and

said elongated member has an offset portion for engagement with a portion of the core.

4. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim 1 in which said elongated member is of wire,

said elongated member has a core positioning nodule thereon, and

said elongated member has an offset portion in spaced relation to said nodule for retaining engagement with a portion of the core.

5. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim 1 in which said carrier members each has a portion extending through the core in supporting relation to the core and a free end portion for support by the other of said conveyor bands, and

members are provided for advancing said bands in unison.

6. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim Sin which I additional band guiding members are provided for separating said bands and withdrawing the free end portions of the core carrier members from engagement with their supporting devices.

7. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claim 5 in which said core carrier members are alternately mounted on said conveyor bands.

5 6 8. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in band cleaning members are provided engaging said claim 5 in which bands.

said core carrier members are wires and said supports for the free ends of said wires are sockets References Cited y the Examine! on an opposite conveyor band. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in claimsinwhich 2,223,704 12/1940 Powell.

said core carrier members are of wire and g t-1 each has a portion for frictional engagement with a por- 1 9 /1 4 R e e a 1-8 4 X tion of the core. 10 3 3 yan 1 0. Apparatus for inserting cores into soap as defined in WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. claim 5 1n which 

1. APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CORES INTO SOAP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SOAP SUPPORTING RECEPTACLE, AN ELONGATED CARRIER MEMBER FOR EXTENDING THROUGH A CORE IN SUPPORTING RELATION THERETO AND HAVING ENDS DISPOSED BEYOND THE CORE, ADVANCING MEMBERS FOR SAID CORE CARRIER MEMBER FOR ADVANCING SAID CORE CARRIER MEMBER ALONG SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID ADVANCING MEMBERS INCLUDING HORIZONTALLY SPACED ENDLESS CONVEYOR BANDS ONE OF WHICH HAS A RIGID SUPPORT AT ONE END FOR SAID CORE SUPPORTING MEMBER AND THE OTHER OF WHICH HAS A SEPARABLE SUPPORT FOR THE OTHER END OF SAID CORE SUPPORTING MEMBER. 